Special Initiative Projects

The Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) is a special initiative of the MCW Consortium on Public and Community Health, funded by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin endowment through the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program.

The VPI is a community-based initiative that aims to:
1) decrease rates of violence in identified areas of Milwaukee and, possibly, other areas of Wisconsin, and
2) strengthen community capacity to prevent future violence.

The initiative uses both a public health and asset-based model that focuses on community strengths. This approach emphasizes preventing violence before it occurs, making public health science integral to identifying effective policies and programs, and integrating the efforts of diverse scientific disciplines, local organizations, and communities. The initiative intends to complement, not replace, other community-MCW academic partnerships and the many other excellent community violence prevention projects underway.

By investing in a long-term initiative, collaborating with many people and groups, and addressing the complex problem of violence from a public health standpoint, the initiative seeks to decrease violence and prevent its increase in the future.
 

Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI)   

The VPI’s primary goals are to decrease rates of violence in identified areas of Milwaukee and, possibly, greater Wisconsin and to strengthen community capacity to prevent future violence.  Read More

Academic Partners:

John Meurer, MD, MBA - Institute for Health and Society
Staci Young, PhD - Department of Family and Community Medicine

Community Partners: 

In 2010, two community partnership teams were selected through a competitive application process to decrease violence in Milwaukee and strengthen community capacity to prevent future violence:

• Holton Youth and Family Center Collaborative (HYFCC)
• United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM) Violence Prevention Initiative

In 2011, two community partnership teams were selected through a competitive application process to decrease violence in Milwaukee and strengthen community capacity to prevent future violence:

• Ripple Effect Milwaukee: Spreading Peace and Building Communities (REM)
• Safe Schools Healthy Students Lindsay Heights Initiative

Project Progress:

Project Progress Report Summary 2/1/2010 - 6/30/2010
Project Progress Report Summary 7/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Project Progress Report Summary 1/1/2011 - 6/30/2011
Project Progress Report Summary 7/1/2011 - 12/31/2011
Project Progress Report Summary 1/1/2012 - 6/30/2012
Project Progress Report Summary 7/1/2012 - 12/31/2012

Project Dissemination Efforts (as reported by project partners):

• Articles
  • Featured in an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• Awards
  • Award received from the Unity for Service National Exchange Club for VPI’s special contribution to the prevention of crime in the community
• Outreach Materials/Events
  • Distributed a Communications Flyer at multiple community events
  • Developed and distributed a bi-monthly newsletter to over 440 people
  • Co-sponsored a full-day community workshop with Safe and Sound focused on the usefulness of evidence-based practice and the importance of rigorous outcome evaluation in local programs
  • Hosted the “Bridging the Divide: Evidence Based Programming and Pragmatic Solutions to Violence Prevention” Conference on June 16, 2011
  • Developed and distributed the “Evidence for Action” report providing data to help understand the scope of youth violence
  • Participation by Dr. Hargarten in “Emerging Issues in Adolescent Health” consultation event hosted by Johns Hopkins University in October 2011
  • Participation by Dr. Hargarten in the Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Global Violence workshop “Communication and Technology for Violence Prevention” in December 2011
  • Developed and launched the Community Café Series: Nurturing a Caring Community providing education and discussion forums for community members
  • Highlighted in a radio interview on WUWM-FM88.9
  • Developed and distributed a VPI Fact Sheet and Brochure to community partnership teams and at various community events
  • Hosted a Resource Exchange Conference
• Presentations
  • Presented at a skill-building session at the 2010 HWPP Community Engagement for Health Conference in October 2010
  • Presentation at the Mental Illness in Our Community: Lessons from Tucson Shooting Tragedy conference hosted by the MCW Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities
  • Presentation at the HWPP Community Engagement Conference in April 2011
  • Presentation at the AHW-WPP Leading the Way Joint Conference in September 2012
  • Presentation at the MCW Institute for Health and Society Retreat
  • Presentation at the University of Wisconsin Madison’s “Guns in America: Conflicting Points of View” Conference
• Publications
  • Co-authorship by Staci Young, PhD, entitled “Medical College of Wisconsin Violence Prevention Initiative Facilitating IRB Review of Community-Based Participatory Research” for the Association of American Medical Colleges